I have owned nearly 30 Burny RLG Super Grade Models over the last several years & I have come across an example that has something that I have NEVER noticed on any previous one; a head stock face veneer

I am still quite shocked, considering this is the ONLY example that I have ever seen with the veneer

I don't really know what you mean about veneers but if your talking about the black headstock face then here is how it's done on Gibsons and MIJ guitars.
All of the Gibsons use a veneer and so do the OBG's and Orvilles and Grecos so I assume all the Burnys do as well.
Maybe they are just more noticeable on certain Burnys.

The way most of the MIJ headstocks are done is they use a thin maple headstock veneer and paint it black and then they glue the black headstock veneer to the headstock and then apply and position by hand the logos, split diamonds etc which are mother-of-pearl, about 0.1mm thick, and applied with a poly type glue (info from Mike Lewis from Gretsch and the Terada tour).
The script logos like the "Les Paul Model" are decals (not mother of pearl) and are positioned by hand.

The 70s Gibson headstock veneers are done in a similar way to the above.
Modern Gibsons use a different headstock veneer technique which is shown in the Gibson factory tour where they use a pre made black fibre (cardboard like) based headstock veneer with the Gibson logos embedded (pressed) into the veneer and the script logos like "Les Paul Model" are decals whose edges are covered by the final finish.
On the faded series where the final finishing is not that thick you can see the "Les Paul Model" decal edges.
They then glue the veneer to the headstock and apply the final finish.

Gibson has also sometimes used no headstock veneers mainly for some Acoustic guitars that don't have headstock inlays.

The Gibson reissues and original 50s Gibsons are done with a Holly (wood that's a bit like Maple) veneer and the Gibson and split diamond logos are fitted into the Holly veneer after logo spaces are carved out of the Holly using a cnc router (or originally by hand) and then the whole veneer is painted black and then the black paint is scraped off the logos and the script logos like "Les Paul Model" for standards are then applied using silk screening techniques and are not decals.
They then glue the veneer to the headstock and apply the final finish.

Last edited by japanstrat on Sun Jan 06, 2008 4:46 am; edited 2 times in total

Yes, we are talking about the same thing aka 'holly head stock veneer' on old, original Gibbys..............

The second photo in the orignal post thread is much clearer, just look in the curved area where the head stock transitions from the outter edges & rounds down toward the nut, and at the head stock face the veneer is very visible.
It is a thin, lighter colored area where the mahoagny grain is not present, and that is the veneer layer.

Here's a veneer layer on a Greco

Here's a veneer layer on an Orville

This is what every RLG I've ever had looked like, no veneer (this is my #1 Burny RLG)

So, just as my original post states, the example I have now is the only example of a head stock veneer that I have seen, on any Burny RLG, which I find very odd.

What is also odd is that another TF member states that the veneer was present on Burny RLG models from 1980 & 1981 BUT the example I have has a later style TRC on the head stock, indicating a later than 80-81 time frame.

I was just hoping to see some other members come up with an example like I now have, with the veneer.

I know that Gibson use the headstock veneers....hence the trade a few years back where you could by the headstock veneer from any particular model and year.
Still pretty easy to find them particularly for Juniors .